Iruma-san wants to win the Akutagawa Prize

In other words, she wanted to use this topic to put pressure on Wakaba Mutsu, and then expected that after bearing such a huge burden, Wakaba Mutsu would finally break the balance in his heart and take the initiative to tell her about Toyokawa Shoko.

After all—

Everyone in the band is a community of shared destiny, a family that has agreed to be together for life. If that's the case, then the person who made the mistake in this matter isn't Shoko Toyokawa, who was hiding her own strength from everyone?

This is what Nagasaki Suyo thought, and therefore, she did not think that her behavior at this moment was wrong.

She was just helping Iruma Hibiki and maintaining the "home" that was important to them.

but--

Before this plan even began, Nagasaki Suyo encountered resistance and even more terrifying responses.

"Xiao Mu, what are you talking about?"

She confirmed with Ruoye Mu again.

"Xiang can't replace Xiangzi."

Wakaba Mu repeated it again.

And this time, Nagasaki Suyo definitely heard it clearly. In fact, her question was probably a little angry, and the subtext should be "Please reorganize your words." But Wakaba Mu actually took it as her literal meaning.

"Mu thinks Xiang didn't do a good job?"

In an instant, the smile on Nagasaki Motoyo's face disappeared, and her voice became stern:

"I believe in Xiang and support him. I think Xiang will be able to lead everyone to complete the band's rehearsals and performances. When Xiangzi's life becomes easier and Xiang comes back, our band will be able to recover as before—"

Of course, that severity only lasted for a short time. After all, Nagasaki Suyo's purpose was not to blame Wakaba Mutsu here.

The anger just now was just a momentary loss of composure.

"ring."

Wakaba Mu was about to say something.

"Shigasaki-san and Mu-chan? What are you doing here?"

At this moment, Shoko Toyokawa joined the conversation.

The atmosphere became silent in an instant.

"Just call me Sushi. I'll also call Toyokawa-san Shoko. Everyone calls me by my first name, and I'm the only one with a last name. I feel a bit isolated."

Nagasaki Suyo chatted with Toyokawa Shoko gently as usual.

"Just now I was just chatting with Xiao Mu about daily matters. I didn't say anything else. Xiao Mu, am I right?"

"Um……"

At this moment, Wakaba Mu nodded slightly in response to Nagasaki Suyo who was beside her.

"Sushi, weren't you in Kyoto before? How come you're back so soon? Could it be that Xiang is doing well over there and will be returning to Tokyo soon?"

The purpose of Toyokawa Shoko's coming here was naturally not to know Nagasaki Suyo's plan in advance.

But -

There was something she wanted to confirm about Hibiki Iruma, whom she had been thinking about all the time.

"Higashi was worried that Xiangzi would misunderstand, so even though he was clearly having a hard time and needed help, he still let me come back first."

"Eh?!"

Faced with Nagasaki Suyo's response, which was filled with a hint of resentment and self-emotion, Toyokawa Shoko was seriously shaken.

19 Toyokawa Shoko was eavesdropped on

"Xiangzi?"

It was probably after a deep nap that Hibiki Iruma saw Shoko Toyokawa again.

Toyokawa Shoko's call came a little suddenly, and Iruma Hibiki didn't want to keep her waiting too long, so she prepared in a hurry, from washing to combing her hair to changing into pajamas, and by the way, she slightly tidied up the messy bed in the hotel.

Just like Goto Ichiri who was desperately trying to finish his homework before the end of summer vacation, Iruma Hibiki was so busy in the room that he almost took off.

But even so, when the video was opened and he saw Toyokawa Shoko, Iruma Hibiki's heart did not calm down at all. After all, the preparations just now were a bit hasty and sudden, which made him doubt whether there was something he was not prepared for. What if he showed his bad side in front of Toyokawa Shoko?

Collars, pants, the corners of shirts, hairstyles, corners of eyes, foam around mouth.

Iruma Hibiki paid attention to every detail and worried that he would neglect something in his busy schedule, which would greatly reduce Toyokawa Shoko's impression of him.

Iruma Hibiki breathed a sigh of relief after Nagasaki Suyo left.

Although he was busy and worried, at least when facing Shoko Toyokawa, he could feel some general happiness and excitement.

"Hiroshi, just got up?"

Shoko Toyokawa's voice came from the other end of the phone. Today, Shoko Toyokawa's background was not the practice room at home, the room that Hibiki Iruma had been to, but an unfamiliar room, although there was also a piano in it that looked extremely expensive.

"Well, is it really that obvious?"

Hibiki Iruma asked worriedly, a look of panic on his face.

He felt a little regretful in his heart.

If he had known this, he should have gotten up earlier today.

Toyokawa Shoko chuckled and then said:

"Xiang still looks a little tired, so I just assumed that I didn't disturb you, did I? If my call disturbed you, Xiang just needs to tell me and we can make another appointment."

Toyokawa Shoko smiled widely on the other side of the screen, and then reached out her hand towards the screen as if to reassure Iruma Hibiki.

"Himagi, your collar is a little wrinkled. You need to smooth it out."

Looking at the hand extended by Toyokawa Shoko, Iruma Hibiki was a little slow to react and realized that this was just a virtual picture.

Later, when he realized the situation, he found that he was like a cabbage butterfly deceived by a piece of paper. Fortunately, the mobile phone was not a scary monster that would catch him with a bug net and make him into a specimen.

Hibiki Iruma hurriedly straightened his collar, then relaxed a little, his previously chaotic mind clearing up a lot. Looking at Toyokawa Shoko on the other end of the line, he fixed his phone on the holder and sat down in a chair by the window of the hotel. In front of him was a pile of documents from the hospital.

Yoshiaki Iruma gave him the task of sorting these out.

"Xiang, I suddenly disappeared last night. I'm sorry..."

"Well, it's okay. As Xiangzi said, things around us are more important. I'm fine here."

"..."

Faced with Iruma Hibiki's words, Toyokawa Shoko remained silent for a moment.

She wanted to say something several times, but she didn't say it.

"Come to think of it, did it all end up like that, Xiangzi?"

Until Ru Ling {&-梦锍林二er)san俬⑧basjian Xiang asked with concern.

Shoko Toyokawa wanted to answer something, but still hesitated.

"Don't worry, Xiang, it's okay. Let me see what we should do today!"

Toyokawa Shoko suddenly gave a very stiff smile and took out the love book that Iruma Hibiki was very familiar with from her side.

While waiting for Shoko Toyokawa, he carefully observed Shoko Toyokawa's background.

today--

Wakaba Mutsu seems to be absent.

At least not in Toyokawa Shoko's lens.

"Speaking of which, Xiang--"

She said she was going to look for what she needed to do today in a book, but halfway through, Toyokawa Shoko put down the book in her hand. It was obvious that she had something on her mind today.

Perhaps in fact, Iruma Hibiki saw it from the beginning.

Today, Toyokawa Shoko doesn't look as lively as usual, and seems to be worried and distressed.

but--

Naturally, Iruma Hibiki thought that this must be the place that Toyokawa Shoko wanted to hide from him.

So he couldn't do anything except care and worry.

"Xiang, what do you need recently? Are you busy? The band thing we talked about this morning, actually-"

"It's okay, Xiangzi. Actually, I should be able to return to Tokyo in a while after my grandma is out of danger. Don't worry about me."

"Is it really okay?"

Toyokawa Shoko frowned in confirmation.

This question made Iruma Hibiki feel a little strange, but he finally nodded.

"Well, don't worry, it's okay. Xiangzi, just focus on solving your own problems, and leave the rest to me."

……

The conversation fell into silence again, and this time it was Hibiki Iruma who broke the silence.

"So, what is the second entry in that book?"

"Ah! That's right!"

After being reminded, Shoko Toyokawa smiled again and then turned to the second page of the book.

"What we're going to do together today is to do what each other likes to do. If it were me, my favorite thing to do would be—"

Shoko Toyokawa paused for a moment, then looked at the piano in front of her.

"The only thing we can do here is probably playing the piano."

Then she happily ran to the piano, stroked the black piano cover, and then slowly opened it.

"How much do you know about piano?"

"Not at all, but I have some knowledge of music theory. I learned a little bit about the keys when I was trying to practice arranging music. For the time being, I should be able to find the position of middle C and the notes, as well as the fingering of the chords easily. Beyond that, it's a bit difficult..."

"Shall I teach Xiang a few things about the piano?"

"Ah."

Iruma Hibiki nodded and agreed to Toyokawa Shoko at this moment.

"Come to think of it, we're not at Xiangzi's house today."

Finally, Hibiki Iruma asked Toyokawa Shoko with some concern.

"Does Hibiki prefer my practice room?"

Toyokawa Shoko asked quickly, obviously she was a little concerned about this issue.

"This is Tsuki no Mori's practice room. I didn't plan on going home so early today, so I borrowed it from the music club. They're all very nice people, and they lent it to me as soon as they heard I wanted to use it."

Toyokawa Shoko said this.

At this moment, at the door of the concert room, Nagasaki Suyo stood there listening to the sound coming from the crack of the door.

"Moshi, did you know? Toyokawa-san borrowed our piano today! She's the eldest daughter of the Toyokawa family! Speaking of which, Moshi, you haven't been to the music club in a while. What's up? What's up? Are you planning to debut as a high school entertainer too? That's great! A lot of people from Tsukinomori have become celebrities and appeared on TV, but I'm the only one."

After receiving a text message from her friend, Nagasaki Motoyo came to the performance club, and then she overheard the conversation between Toyokawa Shoko and Iruma Hibiki on the other end of the phone in the performance club.

20 I Like You by Toyokawa Shoko

"ring……"

With the sound of the piano cover gently touching the piano, Shoko Toyokawa realized that it was time to end it anyway, and the clock had already pointed to 7 o'clock.

No matter what, if I don't go home now, it will definitely cause terrible trouble.

but--

At the end of the phone, the world on the other side of Iruma Hibiki has an inexplicable attraction to Toyokawa Shoko at this moment.

The face of the boy opposite, the gentleness, the smile, the unblinking love and the trace of fatigue between his brows were all poison to Toyokawa Shoko at this moment. She wanted to lean forward gently.

In this instant, pour out those unspeakable and expressible emotions to the person in front of you.

but--

A slight tingling sensation came from my lower abdomen.